The Death of Walter Scott

A North Charleston police officer shot a man in the back, and a bystander caught it all on video. What happens next?

The morning of Saturday, April 4, Walter Scott was shot and killed following a traffic stop off of Remount Road in North Charleston. Early reports stated that North Charleston Patrolman Michael Thomas Slager fired his gun during a struggle after Scott tried to take the officer's Taser. But video taken by a bystander showed Slager firing toward Scott as he ran away. Since then, Slager has been fired and charged with murder, a SLED investigation into the incident continues, and voices from across the country are calling for action after the incident that resulted in Scott's death.

One year after the death of Walter Scott, members of the North Charleston community are still looking for ways to come to grips with what has happened. Visiting the gravesite of his brother, Anthony Scott said it’s still a troubled time for the family, and the pain of losing a loved one remains an everyday part of life. — Dustin Waters

In Chelsea Handler’s new documentary series on Netflix, the comedian and talk show host begins her discussion of racism with a story from her childhood. Although the episode opens with Handler bouncing between California and New York, eventually ending up overseas, a large portion of the show is spent in South Carolina, namely Charleston. — Dustin Waters

A Charleston County grand jury indicted former North Charleston Police Department Officer Michael Thomas Slager Monday morning on a charge of murder in the case of the death of Walter Lamer Scott. — Paul Bowers

In the month since a North Charleston police officer was filmed shooting Walter L. Scott as he tried to run away following a routine traffic stop, activist and community groups have been calling for the creation of a citizen review board that would have the ability to oversee investigations into civilian complaints against police officers. — Paul Bowers

You’re probably already familiar with the piece of art featured on the cover of today’s print edition. Protesters have carried it at numerous activist events since the April 4 killing of Walter Scott in North Charleston, and media outlets including CNN and The Atlantic have featured photographs of it. The piece, titled “REAL Life and Death,” was created by North Charleston artist Phillip Hyman shortly after the news broke of Scott’s shooting. — Paul Bowers

The widespread outrage since the killing of Walter Scott 11 days ago by a North Charleston police officer has been palpable. The reaction has been wildly "different" from other stories of police shootings in numerous ways, but there is still an underlying current that is not really understood by many people — even those who are upset by what they saw in the video. — Mat Catastrophe

We're in the sun, sitting on a swing on the College of Charleston campus. It's a beautiful afternoon, and it's quiet except for the birds and the occasional conversation about the death of Walter Scott. — Alison Piepmeier

A group called Black Lives Matter - Charleston has been setting the tone for protest actions following the April 4 shooting death of Walter L. Scott, and they have a very specific demand: They want the city of North Charleston to create a Citizens Review Board to oversee the actions of the police department. — Paul Bowers

The first time John Singletary met Walter Scott, the man whose April 4 death at the hands of North Charleston Police Officer Michael T. Slager has now attracted worldwide attention, Scott had fallen behind on child support payments, according to Singletary, and was trying to change his situation. — Paul Bowers

If you're reading this column, there's a good chance that you're either in Charleston or a native of the city, so the following shouldn't be news to you: On April 4 Walter L. Scott, a 50-year-old black man, was shot in the back by North Charleston Patrolman 1st Class Michael T. Slager. — K.J. Kearney

The employment record of North Charleston Police Department Officer Michael T. Slager shows that Slager excelled in basic training, received CPR certification, and was the subject of two citizen complaints. One of the complaints alleged that Slager wrongfully used a Taser on a man who was not a suspect, but Slager was exonerated by the police department. — Paul Bowers

In a city where 47 percent of the population is African-American, just 19 percent of sworn personnel in the North Charleston Police Department are black, according to a department spokesman. — Paul Bowers

Further video footage exists of the incident leading up to the police shooting of Walter Scott, according to North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey. Summey says that Officer Michael T. Slager’s patrol vehicle was equipped with a dashboard camera and recorded more of the incident than was captured in an eyewitness video that has been widely circulated online. — Paul Bowers

The site of the shooting death of Walter Scott was quiet Wednesday morning. A simple memorial had been set up in the vacant lot in North Charleston: a wreath and a cross of flowers, a few votive candles in the place where state law enforcement officials say North Charleston Police Officer Michael T. Slager shot an unarmed black man in the back as he ran away following a traffic stop. — Paul Bowers

A protest following the shooting death of Walter L. Scott has been planned for Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at North Charleston City Hall. Scott, 50, was shot by North Charleston Police Department Patrolman Michael Thomas Slager Saturday following a traffic stop near Remount and Craig roads for a broken taillight. — Paul Bowers